Extensible mop handle



April 12, 1960 M. JOHNSTON EXTENSIBLE MOP HANDLE Filed April 21, 1958 INVENTOR J /ew M. Jam J70 ATTORNEY United tates This invention relates to an extensible handle adapted for household and industrial uses, to facilitate applying a mop to remote and inaccessible areas. Pursuant to the invention, a main handle portion is provided; a rod is slidably disposed thereon and a slide slidably engages said main'handle portion. The rod is secured at one end to the slide and complementary latch means are provided on the slide and handle for latching the slide to the handle in extended position adjacent the mop end of the handle so that the mop may be disposed remote from the handle or at a position wherein the rod is retracted from said end of the handle.

Examples of practical devices embodying the invention are described below and in the accompanying drawings; the invention is not limited thereto, but covers all other forms coming within the scope or purview of the disclosure herein.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partly broken, top plan view of an extensible mop handle embodying the invention with the rod shown latched to the main handle portion in retracted position remote from the mop end thereof,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, top plan view, similar to Fig. 1, but showing the rod extended from the main handle portion and latched to the handle in that position,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview of a modified form of slide and handle portion embodying the invention, I

Fig. 5 is a partly fragmentary, side elevationalview, taken at line 5 5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional viewtaken at line 66 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 is a transverse, sectional view taken at line 7--7 of Fig. 5, and v Fig. 8 is a transverse, sectional view taken at line 8-8 of Fig. 1. v

As shown in the drawings, the device of the invention comprises a mop handle having an elongated main portion 10 and a rod 11- slidably extensibly secured to the main handle portion, as for example, by securing the rod at one end, 12 (Figs. 2 and 7) to a slide 13. Complementary means are provided for latching the slide 13 to the main handle portion ltl adjacent the mop end 14 of the latter, as: in Fig. 3, to thereby extend the rod 11 (and the mop which would be secured to the end thereof directly or by suitable bracket means such as generally designated at 15 in Fig. 1) to reach remoteand inaccessible ,areas. The slide 13 (and thereby rod 11) may be selectively latched to the main handle portion 10 remote from the mop end 14 of the latter (Fig. 1). A resilient rubber bumper block 16.'(Figs. 1 and 8) is secured to the main handle portion 10 adjacent the free end 14 thereof against which the mop or mop bracket may abut when the rods are moved to retracted position in the main handle portion. Bumper 16 may be made of resilient material as indicated in Fig. 8. The rod 11 may be fully extended by sliding the slide 13 to the position shown in Fig.3 adjacent the end 14 of the main handle portion. The complementary latch means for securing the slide 13 to the handle 10 may comprise studs 17, 18 (Figs. 1, 3 and 6) disposed at spaced points along the main handle portion, spring means 19 normally urging the studs beyond the surface of the main handle atent 'ice portion (Fig. 6). An aperture 20 is provided in the slide for selective registry with said studs (Figs. 1 and 3) as the rod is moved to either position. Rod 11 may be latched in intermediate positions by providing further studs such as 17 and 18 if desired. The complementary spring urged studs and aperture to receive such studs latch' means may be in the form just mentioned, or may be as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the slide 13 is shown provided with a housing 21 in which a stud 22 is disposed and urged by spring 23 against the main handle portion; the latter may be provided with recesses 24 at points therealong to receive the stud 22 and thus latch the rod 11 to the handle portion.

Pursuant to the invention, the user may move the slide 13 to the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the rod 11 is retracted in the main handle portion 10 so that the mop will be disposed adjacent the free end 14 of the main handle portion, or extended to the position shown in Fig. 3 wherein the slide 13 is disposed adjacent the end 14 or at any intermediate desired positions.

To facilitate engagement of the slide with the studs the ends of the slide may be provided with outwardly flared peripheral end portions 25, 26 (Fig. 6) comprising reverted flanges as may also the material of slide 13 marginally of aperture 20 (Fig. 6).

The rod 11 may be slidably disposed in a longitudinal slot 27 (Figs. 5 and 7) in the main handle 10, passing through the bumper block 16 adjacent the end 14 of the main handle portion (Fig. 8). A second rod 31 may be provided, slidably disposed in a second slot 32 (Fig. 5) in the main handle portion, secured as at one end (33, Fig. 7) to the slide and at the other end 34 to the mop bracket 15 (Fig. 1). The second rod 31 may operate precisely as does the first rod 11 in accordance with the above description. Slide 13 has diametrically opposed openings 33 therein (Figs. 2 and 7) located beneath one of'the outwardly flared peripheral end portions comprising reverted flanges, the end 12 of each rod being outwardly turned and engaging in one of said openings. Main handle portion 10 may be 'a tubular member as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 and may be reinforced, if desired, by a solid rod 35, Figs. 1 and 6, extended partially or wholly therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An extensible mop handle comprising an elongated main handle portion having a pair of diametrically opposed longitudinal slots circumferentially arranged therein, a rod slidably positioned in each of said slots,,a tubular slide slidably engaging the handle portion, said slide having diametrically opposed openings therein, the end of each rod being outwardly turned and engaging in an opening, a bracket at the other end of said rods to which a mop may be secured, a plurality of sockets in said main handle portion, a spring-biased stud in each socket, said slide having a flanged aperture therein for the selective reception of one of said studs, a resilient "bumper block at the end of the main handle portion through which said rods pass and against which the mop may abut, and outwardly flared peripheral end portions comprising reverted flanges at each end of the slide adapted to override said studs to facilitate positioning thereof in said flanged aperture said openings in said slide being located beneath one of said reverted flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Harris Sept. 4, 1956 

